"The Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project will help build new power transmission infrastructure, as well as put in place systems to improve the technical efficiency and commercial performance of the state power sector utilities," the release said.

A senior NTPC executive said the first phase of the project will be set up at an estimated cost of around Rs 18,000 crore. The Patratu project is a Joint Venture with 74 per cent stake of the Jharkhand government and Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd’s 26 per cent stake. PVUNL is a subsidiary of NTPC.